Fine Line
by Meta-Blade
Summary: Sometimes, one must get tired of being a princess.


A/N: So, this is an odd little oneshot I started a long time ago and only just completed. I'm not sure how out-of-character it is, so be prepared for that. I also haven't spellchecked as much as I should as I'm in a hurry to post this. Oh well.

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><p>Fine Line<p>

Being a princess wasn't all sparkles, fairytales and perfect romance. It wasn't always the perfect, pampered life the stories made it out to be. At times – most of the time, actually – it was boring, tedious and downright frustrating. There was an awful lot of paperwork involved, not to mention important meetings with foreign guests from neighbouring kingdoms in an effort to forge alliances (which were frankly pointless because nobody got into wars anymore, except Bowser). Anyone who has been forced into a life of royalty will agree; it's definitely a far cry from the glory and glamour everyone seemed to love fantasising about.

Princess Peach was a fairly good example of someone who, having been forced to take the reins of her kingdom at a young age, wasn't finding her high status living up to her expectations. Even with Bowser kidnapping her occasionally, resulting in her close friend Mario coming to rescue her, she was incredibly bored and starting to loathe it. She spent at least three-quarters of her time shut up in her study doing the paperwork; even with dozens of servants she still had to do most of it herself. The remaining quarter of her time was spent being subjected to Toadsworth's lectures on how to be a 'proper' and 'ladylike' princess, which were so mind-numbingly dull she was nearly reduced to tears after each and every one of them.

A year or so after she took control of the kingdom, Peach found herself growing desperate for a change of pace. Having never been close to either of her parents, she wasn't overly sad about their passing away, but right then she wished they was alive simply so she wouldn't have to rule by herself. She was utterly sick of the princess' life. She dealt with it well enough, but it wasn't until quite recently that she'd realised how lonely she was. She rarely even saw Mario anymore. He hadn't had to rescue her in a while.

She had once been accustomed to meeting him in the castle two or three times a week, perhaps stopping long enough to enjoy a slice of her homemade cake and a cup of tea; now, she hadn't caught a glimpse of him in a month. Had he decided to avoid her? She knew it wasn't exactly proper for a common plumber to be talking so familiarly with the princess, but he'd saved her life so many times she didn't care. Had he forgotten her, she wondered? Or was he maybe tired of having to save her from Bowser so frequently?

It was on a dark, wet and windy autumn night that Peach finally admitted she'd had enough and needed a break. Not a permanent one – she was far too devoted to her subjects to give up her title simply because the life of royalty wasn't for her. But tonight she was walking the fine line between sanity and madness, and it wouldn't take much more for her to snap. She had to escape, to get away from her repetitive, tiresome life as the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and do something different for a change. _Everyone needs a little holiday sometimes,_ she reasoned._ A day off... or maybe a night._

Her mind made up, she rose from her elegant four-poster bed with its purple-crimson curtains and overstuffed pillow. She began to quickly change out of her princess garb and dressed herself in the most regular, inconspicuous outfit she knew she owned. She couldn't remember where she had bought it, or when, but she was incredibly grateful for it being there now. It was a very plain pink shirt (obviously her favourite colour) and a blue skirt similar to the ones worn by a lot of Toad residents in the town.

Dressed in these clothes and with her hair free and unbrushed, her royal crown safely hidden underneath her pillow, she could easily pass for any common civilian walking about in the street.

Careful to be quiet, Peach left her hugely elaborate bedroom and sneaked past the drowsy Toad guards beside the castle doors, who didn't even give her a second glance as she snored over their spears. She laughed under her breath, happy to find her disguise was working. It felt very peculiar to be dressed like this instead of in her usual long dress and crown.

Part of her screamed with horror at what she was trying to do... throwing aside her high status and ladylike mannerisms, creeping out of the castle at 9PM under the cloak of a normal citizen, running down the street towards the big building marked 'Toad Town Grand Theatre'. But the larger part of her was rejoicing at the freedom she was allowing herself, so rarely gotten these days. She wasn't worried about doing this; she had a well-hidden rebellious streak.

The theatre was packed like a sardine tin when she arrived, and it wasn't hard to find out why. There was a brand-new movie showing tonight – some slightly cheesy romance about two Toads who fell deeply in love before their snobbish noble parents forced them into arranged marriages with different people, forever separating them. It was heartwrenchingly sad, at least for Peach, who nursed a secret soft spot for anything cute and romantic. This movie looked as though it could end up being top of her list in that area.

She casually strolled inside with her hands tucked into her pockets, inwardly laughing at her unprincesslike she must have looked with her new, normal clothing and messy hair. If Toadsworth ever found out about this trip, he was going to give her a lecture double his own lifespan... but she was confident he would never know. By tomorrow morning she would be back to behaving like a typical pampered princess and her old steward would be none the wiser.

In the entrance to the theatre, she stood in line for about fifteen minutes before stopping and mentally smacking herself when she realised something very important was missing. She didn't have any coins to pay the entry fee! Somewhat dejected, she tried to back up and brushed against the leg of the person behind her. Only then did she remember; she was standing in an extremely long waiting queue.

'Forgot your cash?' came a snide, quiet voice from the man she'd accidentally bumped into. Peach looked upwards and felt a shock run through her like an electrical current. She was staring into the very familiar visage of Waluigi.

Waluigi and his older brother Wario lived at the furthest eastern edge of Toad Town, separated from the intimidating Forever Forest by only a few trees and a muddy little stream. They were rather famous for being a pair of nasty troublemakers and having no sense of civility whatsoever. According to the townsfolk they were both cruel bullies, strong but not especially intelligent. Peach had encountered them several times during racing and sports tournaments, although hadn't spoken to them enough to have any opinion on the two siblings. She just went with what everybody else said. Toadsworth in particular called them good-for-nothing villains and never wasted an opportunity to speak badly of them.

Waluigi certainly did look the part. He was unnaturally tall and scrawny, with a very thin, jagged mustache and an almost permanent sneer etched onto his face. These features, coupled with his bad manners, made it difficult to see him as anything other than a typical villain.

'Hi,' she answered after pausing only a few seconds to regain her composure. She couldn't let him recognise her here – he'd probably tell Toadsworth, just to annoy her. 'Um, yes actually. It's my fault. I ought to have brought some coins with me...' She tried her best to disguise her voice, knowing it would be a dead giveaway, but wasn't entirely successful. Then she glanced around despairingly, once again noticing she was stuck in a line.

'Hm...' Waluigi made a small disinterested noise. There was silence between them for a few moments as Peach desperately tried to come up with a way she could get out of this place. Then, abruptly, he grabbed her hand and pressed several loose coins into her palm without looking at her. She gaped at him in complete surprise, wondering at this uncharacteristic move.

'Keep it – I've got enough,' he told her distractedly, looking straight ahead (which meant he was staring over her, due to his ridiculous height). Peach quickly pocketed the little yellow disks before he could change his mind.

In truth she felt a bit guilty – a disguised princess taking money from unwitting civilians – but then reminded herself that Waluigi's brother was a thief, so he probably had plenty of coins and they were probably stolen too.

'So, shall we... go on through?' Waluigi suddenly asked, clearing his throat awkwardly halfway through the sentence. She nodded in reply.

Once the waiting line had shortened they walked up to the fancy ticket booth and together and Peach bought herself a ticket. She came back smiling brightly – beaming, actually.

'I got seat number 8!' she happily informed him. 'That's right in the front row, so I won't have to sit behind anyone who might block my view!' Then she abruptly trailed off into silence, remembering that she was in disguise and Waluigi didn't really know who she was. She needed to be more discreet or she'd be recognised for sure.

'So what's your name? Mine's... Pauline,' she finished, saying the first name that came to mind, which happened to be Mario's ex-girlfriend's. Luckily for her, Waluigi had never met the woman. Thank the stars she hadn't blurted out 'Daisy'.

'I'm Waluigi,' he replied without missing a beat, though she saw the slight smirk on his face as though he was enjoying some private joke. 'And what a coincidence, I got seat number 7.' He grinned at her and started striding off, leaving Peach with no choice but to follow. She sighed lightly under her breath.

An evening spent stuck in Waluigi's company wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind. But it might not be a complete disaster, so long as he kept quiet during the movie and didn't manage to guess her real identity...

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><p>The movie turned out to be surprisingly good after all, and a lot more sad than she'd been prepared for. She found herself sniffling quietly sometime after the halfway point, and when the Toad couple on the screen spoke their final parting words to one another at the end, she almost burst into slightly hysterical sobbing. A number of people sitting nearby shot irritated glances in her direction and she muttered apologies whilst accepting the tissue Waluigi proffered at her.<p>

'Th-thanks,' she whispered so not to disturb anybody else, blowing her nose and continuing to sniff. Tears were streaming liberally down her face but she couldn't seem to look away from the big screen, where the two young Toads were sharing a last shaky kiss and practically falling into each others' arms while promising they would always remember each other no matter what...

Waluigi gave her a sideways glance as she fell into fresh sobs. 'Gee, Pauline, you sure are a sucker for these kinds of movies.' He himself had spent the last two hours gazing at the screen in apparent disinterest, even smirking through some of the 'cheesier' scenes. It all made Peach want to hit him. But she settled for an offended glare and went back to wiping her nose on her borrowed tissue, wondering idly whether she could get away with handing it back to him later.

Truth be told, Waluigi had acted surprisingly... normal throughout most of the movie. He hadn't laughed loudly or made sarcastic remarks every few minutes, nor did he attempt to engage her in conversation, despite his obvious boredom. Peach couldn't really say she'd _enjoyed _his company – that was going a bit too far – but she had certainly found his presence somewhat tolerable.

That was what shocked her most of all; she'd never spoken more than a handful of words to Waluigi, never considered him a friend, never been at all fond of him, but here she was sitting beside him in a movie theatre and neither of them had killed each other yet.

During the short interval about halfway through the movie, he had slipped out of his seat and disappeared between the other rows without so much as a word of explanation. He had returned five minutes later holding two cans of Coke and a large bag of revolting-smelling cheese and onion crisps, defensively claiming that he didn't like popcorn.

Peach had quietly shrugged and accepted the drink he offered her with a murmur of gratitude (just because she wasn't being a princess tonight didn't mean she automatically needed to be rude).

'So,' Waluigi had spoken up while sipping his Coke; there were still five minutes to go before the movie resumed. 'I haven't seen you around town before... You don't live locally, do you?'

At this, Peach had considered quickly and managed to devise a reply that wouldn't get her caught out. 'No, I'm from Sarasaland. I'm here for a vacation. What about you? Do you come here often?' Although she was only asking these questions to keep her real identity a secret, part of her _was _curious as to why Waluigi had bothered to pay for a ticket to watch something he obviously wasn't very interested in.

He had let out a slightly unpleasant laugh and answered, 'Yeah, I come here every Saturday. It's the only place I can go where Wario won't bother me – he thinks watching movies is a waste of time.'

'Wario?'

'My brother. The less said about him the better.' Waluigi had seemed to hesitate then, and looked vaguely guilty when he added, 'Actually, he could be worse. Wario isn't a bad guy. It's just nice to be alone sometimes.'

Based on her past encounters with the overweight, garlic-chewing, treasure-obsessed thief, Peach didn't particularly find herself sharing that sentiment. But of course, she couldn't give the impression she'd already met Wario. So she had simply nodded and smiled in what she hoped was an understanding way.

Now the movie was drawing to a final close. As they sat back and watched the credits rolling slowly down the screen to some sorrowful music, Waluigi stretched his absurdly long legs out in front of him and yawned dramatically.

'Good movie?' he asked, looking around at Peach and speaking in a bored tone of voice. She glanced down at the damp tissue she was still clinging onto and pocketed it hastily.

'Yes... it was so sad, but beautiful,' she sighed. 'Definitely the best I've seen this year. But you didn't seem to be enjoying it much,' she added with a disapproving frown. Waluigi just laughed at her.

'I'm not really into this romantic slush,' he admitted freely. 'But it's my rule to come here every week, so whatever's on... is what goes.'

Peach remained silent while her brain digested everything he had told her in the last few hours. Although they hadn't spoken much at all, what he _had _said had given her an entirely new insight to his personality. After the events of tonight, she was even more sure that Waluigi was nothing like his older brother. Their natures were as much a polar opposite as their eating habits. At first she had believed him to be – well, not cruel, but not particularly nice either. But during the movie they'd watched together, he had sat beside her for two hours straight and proven himself to be perfectly decent, if quiet, company.

She mulled over these revelations as she and her new 'friend' walked through the crowds to the theatre exit. It was dark outside; that was to be expected considering it had already been dark when she left. She experienced a pang of guilt. If Toadsworth ever found out she'd left the castle unattended, wandered through the town alone, and watched a movie in the company of someone he considered a villain, he'd probably die of a heart attack before he had time to lecture her on her careless actions.

Yet, she found herself continuing to follow Waluigi as they stepped out into the cold, windy air outside the building. She watched him adjust the thin purple scarf around his neck, which she hadn't even noticed he was wearing. When he was apparently satisfied with it, he turned to look down at her with a slight grin.

'So, Pauline – where were you planning on heading next?' he asked.

Again thinking quickly, she replied, 'I'm on my way to the royal castle to meet Princess Peach and some friends. I haven't seen them in a long time, since I live in Sarasaland...'

He nodded, accepting her story. 'It's not always safe to wander around by yourself at night. Want me to walk to the castle with you?'

Peach hadn't anticipated that and was surprised. But when she paused to think about it, she realised she was quite touched by his unexpected kindness. She was in disguise. There was no way Waluigi could know who he was talking to, but he still offered to escort her home as if they had been friends for months.

'Thank you very much,' she said politely. 'It's strange being in a different kingdom, but it's so nice to meet people like you along the way.' Waluigi smirked, a peculiar knowing smirk that made her gratitude melt into uneasiness.

'Let's move, then,' he said, and began walking down the darkened street at a brisk pace.

They walked for perhaps ten minutes, during which Peach kept her eyes fixed on the soft lights shining through the castle windows up ahead. She didn't try to start a conversation with Waluigi. She didn't really want to talk to him; she had no interest in him, but it felt rude to walk side-by-side in silence.

Finally, Waluigi slowed to a halt beside a lamp-post, underneath which a small park bench was being overgrown with thorny plants. 'Let's stop here for a sec,' he muttered, and there was a new edge to his voice that she didn't like the sound of. Even so, when he patted the seat beside him, she joined him and sat down readily enough.

A moment passed before he spoke again.

'Pauline,' he said quietly, looking down at her, 'it was fun being there with you tonight. Want to do this again sometime?'

Her throat nearly closed off. She couldn't let him figure out her real identity, not now! But he sounded so hopeful... she'd have to throw some excuse at him and hope he swallowed it.

'I-I'm sorry,' she replied, betrayed by her faint stammer. 'I'm really busy for the rest of my vacation here...' But she trailed off abruptly when she spotted the smirk creeping onto his face.

'Ah, Pauline,' he said, head tilting to one side as he observed her. She suddenly felt like a small child caught doing something she shouldn't. 'I had the feeling you were messing with me all that time.'

'Wh-what?!' she retorted.

'What's the game, Peach?' There was no mirth in his expression now, only curiosity and something she interpreted as slight annoyance.

'What game? And what are you talking about? Who's Peach?' But she already knew she was done for; playing stupid wouldn't get her anywhere. When he just continued to stare at her disbelivingly, she sighed and explained the truth.

'I needed a break. I'm sick of being a princess all the time. It's hard work, boring and everybody thinks it's so much better than it really is... And I never see Mario anymore.'

Waluigi's expression twisted into something ugly, sneering, contemptuous. 'You ran away because you were sick of being pampered and having every little thing handed to you on a silver jewelled platter? Wow, nice move Peach.'

'It's not like that!' she snapped. 'Everyone thinks being a princess is perfect, but it's not. It's tedious and tiresome and... I wanted to get away from it all, just for one night.'

'So you're not running away?'

'I was just on my way back, actually! If you hadn't come with me, I'd be at home now.' She had no idea why she felt the need to defend herself, for Waluigi's tone and stance didn't indicate imminent violence. He just looked curious.

Then he suddenly stood up, leaving her sitting alone on the bench in the little pool of light. She gasped in surprise at how much taller he seemed now, even more than usual, towering above her.

'Listen, Peach,' he said urgently. 'I gotta go, and I know you're in a hurry to get back too, but...' Here he seemed to hesitate, gathering his courage before continuing. 'If you ever feel like you need some time off again, you know where to find me. We could watch another movie or play sports or whatever. Just as friends.'

She was so shocked by this speech that it took an enormous effort for her to make her voice work.

'Yes... I'd love that. But is it really fine with you? You _did _tell me that you came out here to be alone...'

He sighed and rolled his eyes. 'Don't worry about it. I'm starting to think I could use a bit of company and intelligent conversation, anyhow.'

Peach smiled, feeling oddly mischievous. 'And I suppose Wario doesn't qualify?'

He clapped a hand briefly on her shoulder before straightening to his full height. 'Saturday evenings. Don't forget all about it. I wanna see you here again sometime.' Glancing warily around the dark street, he took off at a brisk walk and was quickly out of sight.

Peach exhaled, all her tension and misery of the past few days leaving her in a great rush as she breathed in the crisp, cold night air. Then she smiled again. It seemed like her little vacation had given her something more than just freedom – it had found her a new friend in one of the most unexpected people.

'Saturday evenings,' she quietly repeated to herself. 'I'll remember.'


End file.
